Are Design Professional Services Lienable?

摘要

A staple in the modern-day construction industry, mechanic's liens are widely used by contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers to ensure that they are paid for their contributions to projects. All 50 states have statutes covering mechanic's liens. The statutes are typically drafted in such a way that anyone who provides labor and material or who otherwise "improves" the property is entitled to file a lien. While this language often encompasses design professional services, some states have taken the added step of creating a special "design professional lien" to ensure that payment is received for engineering specifications and plans, even if the client chooses not to use them.